The present invention relates to the field of communication buses and, in particular, to systems and methods for adapting controller area network buses for subsea optical communication.
Subsea systems, such as those used in exploration and production of oil and gas, continue to increase in complexity. A subsea well can include sensors and actuators located at or below the sea floor. The sensors can be, for example, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and erosion detectors. The actuators can be, for example, valves, pumps, and other flow control devices. Information from the sensors is commonly processed by equipment at a surface facility. Similarly, controls for the actuators commonly originate at a surface facility. Accordingly, communication is needed between the subsea devices and equipment at the surface.
Controller area network (CAN) buses are used to interconnect sensors, actuators, controllers, and other devices in applications such as automobiles, industrial automation, and medical equipment. Many circuits and devices have been developed for CAN bus communications. However, current CAN bus based subsea systems face several limitations. Network size is restricted due to the impedance drop that results from connecting multiple electrical devices in parallel. Additionally, the driver component of the network is susceptible to data corruption or damage from a short circuit failure if long transmission lines cause time delays.